Death With Dignity in Iowa

In 2017, Iowa considered but rejected a death with dignity law.

Recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of states considering death with dignity laws. Sometimes called “assisted suicide” or “right to die” initiatives, these laws make it possible for terminally ill patients to use prescribed medication to end their lives peacefully rather than suffering a painful and protracted death.

The catalyst for greater national attention to this issue was 29-year-old Brittany Maynard, a woman diagnosed with terminal brain cancer who moved from California to Oregon to end her life in 2014. Maynard chose Oregon because California had not yet passed its aid-in-dying law, and Oregon is one of just a few other states to allow terminally ill patients to legally end their lives.

Iowa’s 2017 End-of-Life Options Act

In the 2017 legislative session, lawmakers considered a death with dignity bill, called the Iowa End-of-Life Options Act (SF215 in the state senate and HF299 in the house of representatives). However, the bill died in committee without ever receiving a hearing. If it had passed, the law would have functioned much like Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act, allowing terminally ill patients who met certain requirements to request and use life-ending medication.

Advocating for a Death With Dignity Act in Iowa

Citizen groups are continuing to work to legalize aid in dying in Iowa. If choice at the end of life is important to you, here are some things you can do:

Search for—or start—a community advocacy group. The Compassion & Choices website can help you connect with others in your area.

Making a Will or Advance Directive

“Death with dignity” is one of the most commonly accepted phrases describing the process by which a terminally ill person ingests prescribed medication to hasten death. You may also see the phrase “right to die” used in place of “death with dignity.” However, “right to die” is more accurately used in the context of directing one’s own medical care—that is, refusing life-sustaining treatment such as a respirator or feeding tubes when permanently unconscious or close to death. In Iowa or any other state, you have a right to provide such directions or give any other health care instructions by completing an advance health care directive.